Eating 1 Egg a Day Could Reduce Risk of Stroke

A new study reveals that eating at least one egg as part of one's daily diet could result to a 12 percent reduction in the risk of stroke.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, showed that eggs could have beneficial effects on the risk of stroke. Furthermore, it supports the recent changes in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that eliminate dietary cholesterol limits and now include regular consumption of eggs among lean protein choices.

"Eggs do have many positive nutritional attributes, including antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation," said Dr. Dominik Alexander, of the EpidStat Institute and principal investigator of the study, in a statement. "They are also an excellent source of protein, which has been related to lower blood pressure."

A large egg contains six grams of high-quality protein and antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, found within the egg yolk. Additionally, eggs also have vitamins E, D and A.

For the study, the researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies dating back between 1982 and 2015. These studies evaluated the relationship between egg intake and coronary heart disease and stroke among 276,000 and 308,000 subjects respectively.

Their analysis showed that eating at least one egg a day could reduce the risk of stroke by 12 percent. However, the researchers found no association between egg consumption and coronary heart disease. This study supports previous researches showing no association between dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. But, this new study underscores the possible beneficial effect of egg consumption on the risks of stroke.

Stroke is considered to be the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is responsible for one out of every 20 deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 795,000 Americans experience stroke every year, with an average of one American dying from stroke every four minutes.